"These delays are a result of the sequester that Republicans
insisted take place," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "But let's be clear about the actions the FAA has taken and
the actions that it cannot take because of the way the budgets are structured
and the way that the law imposing the sequester is written."

Carney said the Department of
Transportation is required by law to cut about $1 billion between now and
the end of September. That's $637 million from the FAA.

"The FAA has initiated a
series of cost-saving measures, both personnel and non-personnel related,
including a hiring freeze, restrictions on travel, termination of certain
temporary employees, and reductions to contracts, among other savings," Carney said. "But the
fact is, 70 percent of the FAA's operations budget is personnel, so there is
simply no way to avoid furloughs."